14.List of Pumpout Service for Recreational Boats
(from Friends of Casco Bay)

15.Willard Beach Sewer and Storm Drain Lay-out Diagram

16.Mooring Application and Rules

IIntroduction

This Willard
Beach Resource and Maintenance Guide has been created for both city officials
and residents of the neighborhood as well as other concerned citizens.
Recommendations for recreational usability, long-term welfare of the beach and
the surrounding communities are included in this summary.

It is our
intention that this document be consulted as changes/improvements to the area
are planned.This document will
continue to be updated as more information is obtained or beach conditions
change.It is the primary
responsibility of the Willard Neighborhood Beach Committee to insure its
relevance and communicate its intentions.

Willard
Beach is an important recreational resource and open space for the city of
South Portland that is used daily by many people.We are fortunate to have such a public treasure, as there are only 70
miles of sandy beach in 4,500 miles of Maine coastline.Willard Beach is one of a few free public beaches south of the city of
Portland.

“The biggest problem this beach and other beaches
face is the rising of the ocean.The
ocean has risen almost a foot in the tide gauge in Portland since 1912.And if you look at the slope of the beach here, it is gentle.A one foot vertical rise in the water means the shoreline moved a
considerable distance landward.” (See Appendix 1)

Pollution:
In the 1980's, Casco Bay was considered one of the top ten most polluted bays
in this country.Copies of the
report, The Dirty History of Portland Harbor, are filed at the South
Portland Library and may be obtained from the Friends of Casco Bay.

Since then,
cities and citizens have worked to clean up Casco Bay and the ongoing
activities of today (See Section III) will have a positive and long lasting
effect on the Bay and on Willard Beach.It
is important to consider “that every watershed eventually empties into the
ocean, and each of us lives in a watershed.Each drop of rain that lands on each lawn is an empty vessel, ready to
carry contaminants down through the watershed. Cleaner watersheds will
continue to lead to a cleaner bay.The
phone number for the Casco Bay Estuary Project is listed in Section XVI of
this report.

Erosion: In
1982, The Army Corps of Engineers investigated beach erosion control needs for
Willard Beach.The Corps
recommended the rebuilding of the crib wharf jetty and the construction of two
groins at the bathhouse and at the north end of the beach.It also recommended beach nourishment in the front beach area
and called for back beach area dune restoration to be accomplished by dune
fencing and dune grass plantings.The
high cost and the uncertainty of the success of implementing all but the last
recommendation (dunegrass planting) proved prohibitive.At this time, the science does not support their future implementation.

a)Research the feasibility of capturing the
"first flush" to improve overall water quality after rains.

b)Research feasibility, and if appropriate, develop a
long-term plan to remove sewer pipes from under the beach.

c)Beach committee volunteer will help to coordinate
volunteer education efforts with appropriate municipal/state and private
organizations.

d)Recruit volunteers with in the community to assist
the city with NPDES Phase II Education(Note:
c&d could be put together into one recommendation and specifically name
the school board and other organizations to assist city)

IVDune
Management

1)Beach
committee will draw up plans for the placement of dune fencing, walkovers (if
appropriate) and plantings and seek city approval of plans.

2)Beach
committee will provide volunteers who will continue to work with the city to
obtain approval, needed material, funding and support to do the following:

a)Continue to plant dune grass and put up dune
fencing where appropriate - It is specifically recommended to fence in a
portion of the dune between Myrtle Avenue and Beach Street entrance and plant
some dune grass.Also it is
recommended to put in wood posts along either side of the recreational area by
the bathhouse to delineate dune and recreational area.

b)It is recommended to plant a greater variety of
plants in the dunes for genetic diversity

c)Review the possible use of dune walkovers where
appropriate.

VHazard Mitigation Plan - South Portland Waterfront Development

1)Beach
committee will continue to provide Tom Meyers, Director of Waterfront
Development for the City of South Portland, with information necessary to
complete the Hazard Mitigation Plan.

2)It is
recommended that the Hazard Mitigation Plan include provisions for the
rebuilding of the dunes after a natural disaster or flood.Include in these provisions would be criteria for dune replenishment,
timing and sand and plant sources for dune restoration.

VIBeach
Replenishment/Nourishment

Beach
committee will continue to research replenishment in the back beach area (dune
area).There is no recommendation
for sand replenishment on the beach face at this time.

VIIMooring Information -
Portland Harbormaster

Please
consult section VII of this guide for current regulations and contact
information.

2)The Willard Beach Committee will write a proposal
to the Harbor Master to create and enforce a new regulation requiring the
mooring number be placed on all punts stored at Willard Beach.

3)The Beach Committee and the City of South Portland
Parks & Recreation Department will help alert the Harbor Master of Punts
left in storage areas after November 1st or before April 1st.

IXAnimal
Information

Please
consult section IX of this guide for current regulations and contact
information.

XPolice & Fire Department - Beach Rules

Please
consult section X of this guide for current regulations and contact
information.

XIBeach
Entrances

1)Beach committee will draw up plans for the
reconfiguration of the beach entrances in order to retain sand, build dune and
prevent storm surge from entering roadways.These plans would be reviewed and approved by the Parks and Recreation
Department before implementation.

2)Beach committee will provide volunteers who will
continue to work with the city to obtain needed material, funding and support
to accomplish this reconfiguration.

3)The Beach Committee and the City of South Portland
Parks & Recreation Department will work together to remove existing
invasive plants and fill in with native vegetation where needed.

4)Two blocks of granite should be placed at the
bottom of the Deake Street Entrances.One
at the bottom of the ramp and the other at the bottom of the stairs.Alternatively, explore the option of removing concrete ramp.

XIIShoreline Regulations -
City of South Portland Code Enforcement

Please
consult section XII of this guide for current regulations and contact
information.

Please
consult section XIII of this guide for current regulations and contact
information.

XIVSouth Portland Floodplain
Management Regulations

Please
consult section XIV of this guide for current regulations and contact
information.

XVFish Shacks

1)It is recommended that the City of South Portland
Parks & Recreation Department will provide a mason and materials to fix
the chimney on the biggest shack.

2)The Willard Neighborhood Association and the Beach
Committee will continue to recruit volunteers to maintain and repair the
shacks.Materials will continued
to be provided by the City or donated.

XVIBath House

1)The Willard Neighborhood Association and the Beach
Committee will continue to recruit volunteers to maintain the paint &
stain on the BathHouse.Materials
will continued to be provided by the City or donated.

2)For lifeguard assignment recommendations, see
Section 17.

3)It is recommended that a Portable Toilet be placed
at the BathHouse during the months of May and September.This toilet could be attached in a way to prevent tipping.

XVIICurrent Beach Maintenance Practices

1)$City to create budget line item to fund contract
labor for the following beach maintenance items:

a)Remove large and/or hazardous debris from Willard
Beach after large storms.Currently,
Steve Gray, a beach committee member, removes the heavier debris at the beach
and puts it in piles for Public Works to pick up.This is recommended in anticipation of the future absence of Steve’s
volunteer services.

b)Rake seaweed:

i.At the
beginning of the month (June, July, and August) and in coordination with a
full or new moon (see Section 18c for timing) and rake the seaweed into the
water in the main bathing areas of the beach (from Beach Street to Willard
Street).It is anticipated to
recruit volunteers to rake any seaweed in July and August.It is
recommended that the city contract labor to rake in early June.No raking will be required if there is no significant seaweed on the
beach at any of these times.

ii.In the fall,
after the first significant October Storm, the beach committee will recruit
volunteers to place seaweed and seed in the dune.This will provide much need nutrients in the dunes.Invasive plants in the dunes will be removed at this time.

2)Assign regular beach cleaning duties to lifeguards.These should include raking around the beach house and major recreation
areas as well as picking up trash along the length of the beach.At the beginning of the day, one lifeguard will go down the beach to
pick up trash, and one lifeguard will rake the recreational area by the
bathhouse and pick up debris.

3)Include the daily cleaning of the concession area
as a stipulation of the contract for the snack bar.

XVIIIOther
Issues & Research

Please
consult section XVIII of this guide for details and contact information.

This
Willard Beach report is meant to be a resource guide for both city officials
and residents of the neighborhood as well as other concerned citizens.Positive recommendations for the welfare of the beach and continued
recreational usability are included in the executive summary and are based on
much research and discussion.This
document will continue to be updated as more information is obtained or beach
conditions change and is respectfully submitted by the Willard Neighborhood
Beach Committee.This committee
was formed in response to conflicts between the city and the Willard
Neighborhood Association as to the role of the city in Willard Beach’s
management and other issues regarding the beach.This report is submitted in compliance with the Resolution for Willard
Beach presented to and voted in by City Council in December, 1999.We submitted this report for review to the following for suggestions
and input:

This report
is based on more than a year of research which includes the following:two beach walks with two different geologists (in 1999 and 2002), one
beach walk (October, 2002) with a coastal beach resource planner, Summer 2002
State of Maine beaches conference information, a 1977 consulting geologist
report of Willard Beach, conversations with various city departments,
conversations with long time residents of the Willard neighborhood, and
correspondence with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the
Friends of Casco Bay.Input was
also received from the State Planning Office’s Floodplain Management Program
and the Maine Coastal Program and the Southern Maine Regional Planning
Commission.Many thanks to all whom made this report possible.

A.Background:

Willard
Beach is an important recreational resource and open space for the city of
South Portland that is used daily by many people.We are fortunate to have such a public treasure as there are only 70
miles of sandy beach in 4,500 miles ofMaine
coastline.Willard Beach is one
of a few free public beaches south of the city of Portland.

Willard
Beach was formerly called Gurry Cove in the 1870’s and the beach was lined
with small fishing shanties.The
beach is now named for the Willard family who settled the cove and became
successful fishermen.In the late
1800’s and early 1900’s the fishing shanties were slowly replaced by
summer cottages.

Willard
Beach is a small, sand pocket neighborhood beach extending about 2,000 feet
from Spring Point at Fort Preble, south to a rocky point known as Wharf Point
or Fisherman’s Point.The Beach
opens into Simonton Cove and is fronted by a low-tide terrace (sandy tidal
flat) of varying width.Essentially,
the beach is divided into two areas.The
narrow beach face is the inter-tidal sloping portion of the beach.This area can be completely covered by water at high tide in some
stretches of the beach.The
disappearance of the beach face at high tide is enhanced by certain geological
and atmospheric conditions (i.e. a full moon, spring high tides, storm events,
a drop in atmospheric pressure, etc.).For instance, the sea level rises a foot (give or take) for
every drop of an inch of atmospheric pressure.

The second
section of the beach is the back beach area that runs from the beach face
landward.The back beach area
currently consists ofsome areas
of sand but is mostly covered with areas of dune grass classified as frontal
dune areas and back dune areas.The
frontal dune area is primarily the area on the beach covered with dune grass
(see aerial photo on next page) and the back dune area is the front line of
private residential homes and city buildings (pump station and bath house) on
the beach.In 1977, the back
beach area was reported to have had little dune grass in a 1977 geologist
report by Barry S. Timson.A
current sand dune map is being prepared by the Maine Geological Survey and
will be inserted in the Dune Management section of this document upon
completion.

The January
and February storms of 1978 did considerable damage to the Maine coastline and
beaches.Willard Beach lost two
of the five fish shacks at Fisherman’s Point.As a result of this storm, the state of Maine passed the Natural
Resources Protection Act in 1983.This
was in an effort to mitigate damages of similar intense storms.The Maine Department of Environmental Protection passed the Sand Rule
Regulations in 1987 (Chapter 355) which are attached in Section XII of this
report and are currently under review for changes.These sanddune rules
promote sustainable development within sand dunes, dune growth and protection.

B.Sea Level Rising

In the
October, 1999 beach walk meeting, Joe Kelley (Geologist, USM) stated, “The
biggest problem this beach and other beaches face is the rising of the ocean.The ocean has risen almost a foot in the tide gauge in Portland since
1912.And if you look at the
slope of the beach here, it is gentle.A
one foot vertical rise in the water means the shoreline moved a considerable
distance landward.”Barry
Timson’s (Consulting Geologist) 1977 Willard Beach report illustrates this
landward migration in Figures 3 and 4 from 1864 through 1976.See Appendix 1 for this consulting report.Barry Timson has been located and the City of South Portland Planning
Office is commissioning him to update the shoreline changes and include the
change from 1976 to 2002.The
actual distance of the landward movement of the ocean will be discussed when
these figures are updated.

At the July,
2002 State of Maine Beaches Conference, Joe Kelley once again emphasized the
impact of the sea level rising.The
Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve (Wells, Maine) providedsea level rise information at the conference also.For instance, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
predicts between a 6-36 inch rise in the sea level in the next 100 years (or
.21 inches per year).The reason
for the increase in the rate of sea level rise is attributed primarily to
global warming and glacial melt.During
the past 150 years, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has
doubled.Carbon dioxide traps
radiant heat producing “the greenhouse effect”, which is linked to global
warming.A sea level rise of 25
inches would flood about 250 square miles of dry land and the like amount of
marshland in New England.Thousands
of houses outside the current flood plain would be affected (source:IPCC). If we plan ahead,
we may be able to save coastal ecosystems.

The affect
of any sea level rise at Willard Beach is difficult to predict.We are checking with Barry Timson (author of a Willard Beach
geology report in 1977 - See Appendix 1) to chart the change in the mean high
water and low water marks since 1977.We
would then be able to see the landward migrationof the ocean since his last report (see Figures 3 and 4 in his report).It is a near certainty that the front beach area (and recreational
area) at low and high tides will shrink in this next century and there is
nothing we can do about it.

C.History of Casco Bay Water Quality

Casco Bay
(which includes the water at Willard Beach) was found to be heavily polluted
in the early 1980s.Scientists
began looking at the sediments at the bottom of Casco Bay and found a wide and
puzzling assortment of pollutants.The
Casco Bay Estuary Project “commissioned environmental historian Edward Hawes
to do some detective work, hoping that he could turn up some puzzle pieces
from the watershed that feeds the Bay.The
industry legacy he found was a surprise to almost anyone who thinks they know
the Portland area.”(The Dirty
History of Portland Harbor, Casco Bay Estuary Project.)Casco Bay was considered at that point one of the top ten most polluted
bays in this country.

Copies of
the report, Dirty History of Portland Harbor, are filed at the South Portland
Library and may be obtained from the Friends of Casco Bay.The report is a summary of the wealth of information provided by Edward
Hawes.The summary touches on the
Casco Bay Watershed, small industries, Portland’s Industrial Revolution
(1840-1900), the concentration of sewers and dumps, rail lines and
accompanying industries starting in the 1840’s, shipbuilding, the petroleum
age (1900-1970), and the Clean Water Act in the 1970s.

Residents
remember swimming in the polluted waters as children.The Darlings of Willow Street remember the eelgrass being gray and the
water so cloudy that you could not see the bottom.They, and others, have noticed an incredible transformation
of water quality over the last twenty years.Important steps that the city of South Portland Pollution Abatement
department have taken to reduce pollution at Willard Beach are noted in
Section (III) of this report.

It is
important to consider “that every watershed eventually empties into the
ocean, and each of us lives in a watershed.Each drop of rain that lands on each lawn is an empty vessel, ready to
carry contaminants down through the watershed.That drop may gather up pesticides from the roses, motor oil from the
driveway, or pet waste from the sidewalk.While wastewater treatment plants can remove many pollutants from
runoff that enters the sewers, storm water often overwhelms the system,
allowing raw sewage and untreated runoff to divert straight into the Bay.”(The Dirty History of Portland Harbor, Casco Bay Estuary Project.)

The
activities of today (See Section III) will have a positive and long lasting
effect on the Bay and on Willard Beach.Cleaner
watersheds will continue to lead to a cleaner bay.The phone number for the Casco Bay Estuary Project is listed
in Section XVI of this report.

D.1982 Army Corps of Engineers Summary

The Army
Corps of Engineers was commissioned in 1982 by the city of South Portland to
investigate beach erosion control needs for Willard Beach.After extensive research, the Army Corps basically recommended the
rebuilding of the crib wharf jetty and the construction of two groins at the
bathhouse and at the north end of the beach.A jetty is a shore perpendicular structure that is used to stabilize an
inlet.Groins are shore
perpendicular structures along a beach that is designed to trap sand at the
beach (they are not associated with inlets).Jetties are typically larger.The
plan also called for beach nourishment in the front beach area and mentioned
that multiple year nourishment would be required.The last recommendation called for back beach area dune restoration
accomplished by dune fencing and dune grass plantings.

The city of
South Portland did not act on the jetty, groin, or beach nourishment
recommendations because of a few reasons.According to correspondence in the 1982 Army Corps report, there was
some disagreement between the geologist consulted (Barry Timson, author of the
1977 geological survey of Willard Beach) and the Army Corps as to the
effectiveness of these Army Corps’ recommendations.The availability of Federal funds for beach nourishment programs (the
federal government would have picked up 50% of the cost) was also discontinued
at this time.The Army Corps’
least expensive recommended plan (one groin and a 50-foot wide sand berm) was
estimated to cost $800,000.This
does not include costs associated with adding more sand each year($50,000 to $100,000 per year).The
city could not cost justify such an expense since it was not clear that such
measures would work (per Dana Anderson).

In 2002,
there is currently no State funds and limited federal funding for such
programs.The problem with beach
nourishment plans is that there is no guarantee the sand will stay where it
was placed.These plans also
typically include periodic sand replenishment to replace sand that has been
removed from the beach.Cities
and towns may find that such sand replenishment is not cost justifiable.See the Beach Replenishment section of this report for more
information.

The
geologist and Army Corps did agree on the importance of dune restoration.It appears that the City implemented the dune restoration part of the
plan for some of the beach.Dune
fencing and signs stating “Stay of Dunes” were put up north of the
bathhouse up to Myrtle Avenue.It
is unclear if only residents and/or the city planted some dune grass behind
the fencing.

Note:At the 2002 State of Maine beaches conference, examples of the
ecological results of groin and jetty installations on the coast were shown
visually and discussed.One such example was the jetty at Camp Ellis and the
subsequent erosion of the shoreline and damage to the shoreline and houses
there.Federal funds (over $1
million) were recently obtained to reconstruct the Camp Ellis jetty to try to
mitigate future damage.Jetties
and groins can cause an undesirable shift in sand.While sand may be gained in one area, sand supply and the subsequent
shoreline profile can be adversely affected in other areas.In some states, groins previously constructed are now being removed due
to undesirable effects

A.Water Lines - Portland Water District.

Location

According
to the Portland Water District, there are no water lines that run under the
frontal dune area of the beach.The
closest line to the frontal dune (grass area) is the water line that runs on
the waterside of the beach houses on the south side of Myrtle Avenue.

B.Sewer Lines - South Portland Pollution Abatement Department.

i.Location, sizes, and ages
of lines

The
city of South Portland Pollution Abatement Department (Dave Thomes, Collection
Systems Manager) reports that sewer and storm drain lines run in many
different areas of the beach (the beach face, frontal dune and back dune
areas).The South Portland
Engineering Department (Craig Worth) has provided an aerial shot of the sewer
and storm drain layout at Willard Beach (see attached).

Storm
drains carry run off water that has traveled from as far away as Cottage Road
directly into pipes and are located at the end of Myrtle Avenue, Willow
Street, and Willard Street to the water in Simonton Cove.These storm drains contain catch basins that act as traps to
catch heavier small debris and sand but can not filter run off pollutants that
are suspended or dissolved (i.e. oil from cars, pesticides, etc.).There are also private storm drains that extend from areas such as the
beach path at theSimonton Cove condominiums and in the Southwest corner of the
SMTC field.There are no catch
basins for these storm drains.There
is also a storm drain in the yard of a beachfront home (See Appendix 2 for tax
map #226B) at the end of Myrtle Avenue.This
drain ties into the drain at the end of Myrtle, which has two catch basins.Storm drains are variable in size with the smallest lines located at
the top of the watershed and extend to the beach areas increasing in size to
36 inches in diameter.

The
sewer drains indicated on the layout are categorized as the sanitary sewer
lines and a sewer force main.The
sanitary sewer lines drain by gravity down to the sewer pump station at the
end of Willard Street. The sanitary sewer lines (16-20 inches in diameter) are
at least 100 years old.The pump
station then pumps the sewage through the sewer force main back across the
beach (under the frontal dune) and up Myrtle Avenue to the point where gravity
will take over and carry the sewage to the city’s sewage treatment plant.

The
pump station and sewer force main were put in service in the 1970’s in
response to the Clean Water Act of 1972.Before that, sewage went down the sanitary sewer lines directly into
Simonton Cove.The reason the
sewer force main pipe goes back down under the beach dunes to Myrtle Avenue
andnot straight up Willard Street is cost.The size of the sewer force main pipe (12 inches) matches up
with the size of the pipes located up at SMTC.If the sewer force main were to be sent up Willard Street instead, new
pipe would have to be laid all the way up Willard Street and down Preble
Street to SMTC.The cost is
significant to change the location of the sewer force main.

The
storm drains, sanitary sewer drains and sewer force main are buried at various
depths from showing above the beach surface to being below the sand by only
eight feet.

ii.Pipe Replacement Issues.

If
the sewer lines are repaired or replaced in the future, great care should be
taken to replace sand and replant dune grass as it was before.This is not just a request by the neighborhood association but a
requirement by the Maine DEP (Doug Burdick e-mail dated 5/15/02).A permit would be required by the DEP.The beach committee chairperson would also like to be informed of
proposed work on the beach.

iii.Separation of storm and sewer water

The
city of South Portland successfully separated the sewer and storm water in
1999 in accordance with the EPA’s Clean Water Act.The Clean Water Act prohibits the discharge of untreated sewage within
three miles of the coast.There
have been no combined sewer overflows (CSOs) of sewage and storm water at
Willard Beach in over two years.

There
were three combined sewage overflow pipes (CSOs) located on or near Willard
Beach.The CSO (#017) that runs
south from the pump station out past Fisherman’s Point (at the end of Deake
Street) was closed in September, 2002.If
there is a power failure, the pump station generator will continue to run the
pump station so that the sewage will continue to be pumped through the sewer
force main to the treatment plant.If
the generator fails, sewage that used to be discharged through the CSO now has
the potential to back up the collection system into private homes.The Pollution Abatement department just installed a new generator
(2002) which is tested weekly so hopefully this will not happen.The previous generator was 30 years old.

Per
Pat Cloutier, Pollution Abatement Department, “there are two pump stations
that are operated and maintained by the City’s Pollution Abatement
department on the SMTC campus.They
are located at the end of Fort Road (SMTC #1) near the Maritime Museum and
right behind Hildreth Hall (SMTC #2).The
one remaining CSO pipe is are located up at the North end of the beach by the
pump station at SMTC #2.While
SMTC holds the responsibility for the CSO on its discharge permit, the city
will be looking into options available to eliminate this CSO.This CSO has been inactive for at least two years but steps must be
taken to insure that there is available standby power to operate the station
in the event of a power failure before the CSO is plugged.Joe Payne at the Friends of Casco Bay and the city are working on this
issue.”

iv.Storm Water Runoff - Best Management Practices

There
is current Federal and State legislation in effect that sharply focuses on
proactive measures for the prevention of storm water pollutants (called best
management practices).In the
Fall of 2002, the City of South Portland Pollution Abatement Department signed
an agreement in a cooperative effort with eleven other cities in Cumberland
County to comply with this new legislation (Stormwater Phase II).The Pollution Abatement Department has been working with Joe Payne of
the Friends of Casco Bay, the Casco Bay Estuary Project, and David Ladd of the
Maine DEP.Public education and
outreach on storm water impacts will be emphasized through literature, signs,
etc.Other best management
practice compliance areas include the following:Public involvement/participation, illicit discharge detection and
elimination, construction site storm water runoff control, post-construction
storm water management in new development and redevelopment, and pollution
prevention/good housekeeping for municipal operations.More information about Best Management Practices can be found at
http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater/menuofbmps/menu.cfm and copies are
available upon request.

The
Friends ofCasco Bay (FOCB) has a
BayScaper program and guide designed to educate the public on keys to
environmentally friendly landscaping.The
guide covers BayScaper practices in six steps from initial landscape design to
proper maintenance and pest control.Residents
within the Casco Bay watershed can ask the FOCB to come and present an
excellent introduction to these six steps to garden clubs or neighborhood
associations .Call or
e-mail Mary Cerullo at 799-8574 or mcerullo@cascobay.org.

FYI:Winter road treatments (rock salt and sand) were researched to see if
the runoff of any chemicals used in the treatments would be harmful to water
quality at the beach.Steve Johnson(Director
of South Portland Public Works Department) reported that road salt containing
sodium chloride (which is salt) is used on the main traffic roads and that a
sand mixture (with very little salt) is used on secondary streets.When temperatures get very cold, calcium chloride (another salt) is
sprayed on the rock salt to insure that the mixture will melt the snow and ice
on the roads.The combination of
the two chlorides (sodium and calcium) produces a very salty runoff into the
ocean.There is no indication
that this is harmful to the ocean or aquatic life.The city standards match the Maine Department of Transportation
standards with regard to material used in road treatments.

v.Beach Water Testing

Water
samples at the beach are obtained on Monday and Wednesdays at two sites by the
lifeguards from Memorial Day to Labor Day.The Pollution Abatement representative comes down to the beach to pick
up the samples and then takes it back to their laboratory to test them.The test results taken on Monday, for example, are not known until
Tuesday because it takes 24 hours to get the results.The test used is the fastest approved test available.The tests are looking for unacceptable levels of disease causing
bacteria.These bacteria can
cause a wide range of illnesses such as gastroenteritis, hepatitis,
respiratory illness, skin rashes, pink eye, and ear, nose and throat problems.

High
bacteria count is primarily attributed to storm water runoff after rain not
sewage discharge.There has been
no sewage discharged at the beach in over two years.Parents should be reminded that young children can adversely
affect water quality, especially in a confined area like Willard Beach.Reminders of frequent bathroom visits and changing diapers in bathrooms
(not on the beach) are valuable.

If
the bacteria count is much higher at one site than the other or in excess of
thresholds recommended by the Maine DEP and the U.S. DEP, a swimming advisory
is issued by a sign at the bath house only.The sites are immediately re-tested and if the count remains high, the
beach is closed to swimming.The
closing notice is postedin one
or two beach entrances (on the beach) for the public to see.The beach was closed one time in 2002 (June 12) and
advisories issued on June 27, July 9, 11, 25, 29 and August 22 (see Appendix 6
for the 2002 summer test results).

The
State’s Coastal Swim Beach Initiative is being developed by state agencies
and local constituents (i.e. the Casco Bay Estuary Project).The program will streamline water quality testing and reporting for
state recreational areas.

Recommendations
regarding alerting the public on advisories and closures are noted in the
Executive Summary.

A.Background

Dunes
provide vital protection for upland areas from storm events.Dunes that are vegetated with native species are, in general, heartier
and better stabilized, and able to withstand higher wind and flood events.At Willard Beach, there are competing ecological and recreational
viewpoints and needs with regard to dune grass.This is a very common conflict as noted by talking with other
representatives of other beaches at the Maine Beaches Conference (at Thornton
Academy, July, 2002).While the dune grass is a critical part of the health of the
beach, some residents are concerned that the dune grass will take over the
recreational areas of the beach.The
beach committee strives to reach compromises between these two viewpoints and
needs.

Barry Timson
mentions in his 1977 beach study (See Appendix 1 page 4) that “a turn of the
century photograph (The Portland Shopper’s Wise Guide, 1975) of Willard
Beach reveals extensive vegetated dunes on the present back beach area,
indicating sufficient winds for dune formation”.It is uncertain as to the demise of these dunes.Barry mentions in his 1977 report that there was very little dune
vegetation present at that time.Note:The photo in the 1975 Portland Shopper’s Wise Guide article on the
history of South Portland (by resident Rosella Loveitt) is available for
review at the South Portland Library in a folder containing articles and
pictures of South Portland historical places.

For a period
of time [checking with Public Works as to dates], the City of South Portland
Public Works Department was driving front loader equipment on to the beach in
the Spring and pulling sand back down from the back beach area to the front
beach area.This was done to
maintain a large sand recreational area for the residents and greatly
inhibited the natural growth of dunes and dune grass.This practice was stopped over 15 years ago either because of budgetary
constraints and/or because of the Natural Resources Protection Act of 1983
(See Section II part a.).There
were also Sand Dune Regulations passed in 1987 by the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection that would have prohibited this type of“maintenance” on the beach.

Dune grass
is absolutely essential to the viability ofWillard Beach.Dune grass
stabilizes and retains the sand in the back beach area and mitigates the
erosive effects of storm events.Dune
grass roots grow 10-15 feet below the sand surface and spread out over large
areas to send up new shoots.Current
geological belief indicates that there is no significant erosion problem.Willard Beach does not have a real source of sand (i.e. a river inlet).Therefore, it is very important to retain the sand we currently have in
all areas of the beach.The dunes
also provide some vital storm protection for the residential and city
buildings on the beach as well as homes at the same elevation that are not
directly on the beach.

The shape of
the dune is constantly changing due to the dynamics of new growth and storm
actions.Dune grass will not grow
in salt water so the grass will only grow seaward to the high tide mark.

B.Dune Grass Planting

There were
areas identified by Joe Kelley where dune grassneeded to be planted (October 1999 beach walk with Joe Kelley, now the
Professor of Geology at USM).These
areas were also indicated on the Spring Point Shore way Improvements Plan
(Mitchell and Associates, Feb. 2000 -Section X of this report).In the Spring of 2002, the city of South Portland Parks and Recreation
Department purchased 3,500 sprigs of dune grass that was planted by
neighborhood volunteers in the areas indicated.One of the areas planted was in front of the sewer pump house at the
end of Willard Street.More dune
grass was planted just South of the bathhouse at the Willow Street beach
entrance.The dune grass planted
is doing well.The beach
committee will continue to monitor the health of the dune grass.

During her
Willard Beach visit on October 31, 2002, Sue Schaller (Southern Maine Regional
Planning Commission), a coastal resource planner, suggested that more species
of proper dune vegetation be introduced to the dunes.This would provide better genetic diversity and reduce the chance of a
disease affecting every plant in the dune.The four other plants suggested were beach pea, seaside golden rod,
rosa rugosa, and beach heather.These
use of these plants should be considered in future plantings in the dunes.See the dune vegetation restoration discussion in part f. of this
section.Also see Sue
Schaller’s summary (Appendix 5) on the October 31, 2002 Willard Beach site
visit included in this section for more detail.

Sue Schaller
has also had success in planting dune grass seed.She suggests taking the seed in the Fall and spreading it on bare spots
in the dune (or putting an inch under the sand) and covering it with 3 or 4
inches of seaweed.Volunteers
at different beaches in Southern Maine are participating in dune restoration
and are making great progress.

C.Dune Grass Removal

Steve
Dickson (Marine Geologist, Maine Geological Survey) and Pete Slovinsky (Fellow
with the Maine Geological Survey) walked the beach in May, 2002 and reported
that it appeared that the dunes are currently a good size and were in good
condition.The beach committee
will walk the beach in the Spring of 2003 (and each Spring) to determine if
there is any new dune grass growth to be removed to avoid further encroachment
into the recreational area of the beach.One idea is to put small wooden markers along the area to define the
line of allowable dune grass growth.The
beach committee would like to work with the Parks and Recreation Department to
remove any dune grass identified.The
DEP is willing to let the city and neighborhood work this out and trusts the
judgment of both (per Doug Burdick e-mail dated May 15, 2002).

The best way
to remove the dune grass may be to use a machine in the Parks and Recreation
Department called the Rotodarian.This
machine is primarily used for soil rejuvenation and leveling for the ball
fields.The beach use should in
no way hurt this machine and it should accomplish the dune grass removal quite
efficiently.The grass would only
be removed about six inches below the sand surface so the grass may grow back
since the roots are well below six inches under the sand surface.

D.Dune fencing / Dune
walkovers

Dune fencing
will continue to be used in areas where the dune grass is not yet established
or in areas where protection is needed from pedestrian or pet traffic.The few dogs and people that occasionally walk into the dune should not
affect the overall healthiness of the dune grass.The beach committee will continue to monitor the use of dune fencing.For aesthetic reasons, future dune fencing used should be a natural
color (gray).

Sue Schaller
strongly emphasized that dune fencing should not be placed on the waterside of
the dune.The natural accretion
of sand and seaweed (a dune grass nutrient) would be impeded.If there is a need to keep out traffic on the water side of
the dune, half of the slats of the fence could be removed so that water, sand
and seaweed can wash through (See Appendix 5 page 5 for Sue‘s comments on
fencing).

Permanent
dune walkovers may need to be added to one or more of the beach entrances to
allow for dune grass to grow underneath the walkover.Temporary dune walkovers are installed on the sand and are
used to maintain a pathway through the dune grass.The Willard Street entrance, for instance, faces directly northeast and
sand is blown off the beach and may benefit from one of these types of
walkovers.Access for city
vehicles and emergency vehicles will be considered.The beach committee plans to meet with the Parks and Recreation
Department to discuss any possible changes to the Willow and Willard Street
entrances.

A DEP permit
is required for a permanent boardwalk and it may have to be handicap
accessible.No DEP permit is
required for a temporary boardwalk that rests on the dune surface.A temporary boardwalk would be installed in the Spring and removed in
the Fall.

E.Dune Grass Die-out

Information
regarding this issue was obtained at the 2002 Maine Beaches Conference and is
attached in Appendix 7 in this report.

F.Coastal Resource Planner -
Dune Vegetation Restoration Efforts

Attached in
Appendix 8 of this report.

G.Sand Dune Map (2002) - Maine Geological Survey (MGS)

The sand
dunes at Willard Beach have been officially mapped for the first time in the
Fall of 2002.Preliminary
information is included in Appendix 9 of this report.

Tom
Meyers, South Portland Director of Waterfront Development, is currently
working on the Hazard Mitigation Plan for the City of South Portland.A hazard mitigation plan identifies all development at risk for a
natural disaster (i.e. flooding, earthquakes, high winds, tornadoes, and
forest fires).The plan then
looks at what regulations are in place and determines a priority plan.The city has to have a plan registered with the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) before November, 2004 to be eligible for FEMA funds
in the event of a natural disaster.Any
part of the plan that pertains to Willard Beach will be included in this
report when available.

One of the
issues to be addressed in the plan is the what would be the city’s response
when a very large storm surge would wash a good portion of the dune away.At that point, the residential area and city buildings (the Willard
Street sewer pump station and bathhouse) in the back dune area as well as
residential homes behind the back dune area would be at risk.Also, the various sewer lines that are buried underneath the beach and
dunes (See Section III a. in this report) would be exposed.If we were to get a second storm or a series of storms of that
magnitude, there would be no dune left for protection.The dune would not have the chance to rebuild itself.The key question is whether the dune would be rebuilt by the city, in
what time period, and from what source (i.e. dredged sand ,taking sand from
the front beach area, or purchasing sand from another source).

Per Steve
Dickson (Maine Geological Survey - e-mail dated 5/14/02), “Some of the most
damaging storms on the U.S. east coast have been during times of high spring
tides (perigean or proxigean tides) when the sea is already elevated and then
has the storm surge and swells added to it.Consequently, it is often a matter of the storm coinciding with
extremely high tides that leads to property damage or very severe dune
erosion.Alternatively, some
large storms can pass by with the peak surge occurring at low tide and no
property damage.Slowly moving
storms, like the December 1992 northeaster, can cause flooding and beach
erosion repeatedly for 6 to 8 high tide cycles, if the storm center stalls in
the Gulf of Maine.The 1991
Halloween (Perfect) Storm retrograded and caused large surf and surge along
the Maine coast.”

Steve
Dickson also mentioned that often some of the greatest damage comes from a
series of storms and that certain areas on the beach (i.e. the bathhouse) may
be more at risk because of lower elevations of the beach.It appears that the storm surges reach higher near the bathhouse (by
looking at the seaweed line) because of the lack of dunes and a lower sand
elevation.This may be true in
some of the other areas of the beach where dunes are absent.Attached is Steve’s e-mail dated May 14, 2002 (Appendix 10)
for reference and additional information on flooding.

A.Background

We asked
Steve Dickson (Marine Geologist, Maine Geological Survey) in May, 2002 about
the possibility or benefits of a beach nourishment plan (periodic sand
additions to the beach by the city) for Willard Beach.His reply was that it appears that it would not be cost justifiable
because it would not significantly benefit the beach.Steve said that a yard of sand is $10 and that if we ordered
100,000 cubic yards ($1 million dollars worth) that there would be under a
foot of sand added to the beach.Much
of that sand would probably either go out with the tide or blow into the
dunes.Beach nourishment plans
have not had a good track record of working well in Maine.

Some
nourishment plans have been very successful for their intended purpose in
other areas (outside of Maine).There
are limited Federal funds and currently no State funds for these plans.Peter Slovinsky (Fellow for the Maine Geological Survey and South
Portland resident) mentioned that beach nourishment might be cost justifiable
if our beach was a tourist attraction that brought in millions of dollars to
the city.But this is not the
case with Willard Beach, nor many other Maine beaches.

The problem
with beach nourishment is that there is no way to guarantee that the sand will
stay in the area of the beach that it was placed.Beach nourishment programs typically include periodic deposits of
additional sand to replace sand that has been removed from the beach or moved
from the place originally placed.There
are case studies available for review on the internet for Wells Beach, Camp
Ellis, and Ogunquit beaches (http://wwweos.duke.edu./Research/psds/maine.htm.Wells and Ogunquit beach nourishment plans have been somewhat
successful while Camp Ellis has had poor results.

Steve
Dickson stated that the biggest help to maintaining the sand on the beach was
to manage the dunes.There is a
finite amount of sand on the beach and the dunes are responsible for holding
it on the beach in the case of a big storm event.

Dredged sand
can be used for beach nourishment projects and has been used at the beaches in
Saco, Wells and Kennebunk.It has
to have a very low percentage of “fines” which is silt and clay (perhaps
less than 5%) in order to be used for beach nourishment.The Portland Harbor dredging material would not be suitable because it
is almost all mud and because it may be contaminated.Dredged sand should be tested for pollutants which can be
expensive (maybe $10,000).The
Scarborough River dredged sand is a good consistency for Willard Beach
replenishment needs.The
Scarborough town planner, Joe Zipnuski, would be the person to consult
(883-4301).Sue Schaller,
beach resource planner with the Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission
said (on a Willard Beach walk on 10/31/02) that there is a long list of groups
that also want the dredged sand from the Scarborough River inlet.So it may be difficult to obtain.

Peter
Slovinsky (NOAA Coastal Fellow, Maine Geological Survey) stated that “it was
important to mention that very little beach quality sand exists along the
Maine coastline.What does exist
is usually provided by a river source (i.e. Scarborough river inlet) or
reworked glacial materials, and is confined with littoral cells.Maine is not sand rich near the shore.”The Saco Public Works department has estimates on sand costs
and suppliers.The sand that
would be used on their beach would be the same sand suitable for replenishment
at Willard Beach.We will include
a summary sand costs and suppliers once it is obtained.

Kathleen
Leyden (287-3144) at the State Planning Office Maine Coastal Program could be
helpful in finding sources of dredged sand for Willard Beach.She is also looking into developing beach nourishment
programs for the State.The beach
committee will update this section if State funding becomes available.

The city of
Saco purchases beach sand periodically and the sand at their beach (Ferry
Beach and Camp Ellis) is similar to the sand that would be used at Willard
Beach for a replenishment program.Some
of their beach sand suppliers include the following:Shaw Brothers, Gorham, 1-800-834-4282 and Dayton Sand and Gravel,
Dayton, Maine, 499-2306 (great quality, but may be more expensive), and
Commercial Paving in Scarborough, 883-3325.

B.Erosion Discussion

The 1977
geological survey by Barry Timson (Appendix 1 attached) mentioned that Willard
Beach “has been eroding over the past 125 years.The beach is presently receding at an average annual rate of about .65
to 1.0 feet, but may experience erosion of up to 5.5 feet in any given
year”.In May 2002, Steve
Dickson mentioned that that report may have some +/- errors with it: Steve
said, “In any case, the fact that the beach appears healthy now suggests to
me that there is not an erosion rate of 1 foot per year since 1977 or there
would be unhealthy dunes, more evidence of chronic erosion with dune scarps,
and a shoreline that would be closer to houses than it is.”

The
continual shift of sand in the front beach area causes various storm drains on
the beach to be sometimes covered with sand and sometimes visible.Additionally, there appears to be a shift of sand over the
last twenty years from the front beach area to the back beach area because of
winds and various storm events.The
front beach area can regain sand as some storms can actually dump sand on the
beach (per conversation with Steve Dickson).This can occur with particular wind and wave action.Conversely, there are “bad” storms that will take sand
off the front beach area (and perhaps the back beach area).

The beach
committee has been participating in a beach profile study since May 2001.Volunteers at other beaches south of Willard Beach (Wells, Ferry,
Scarborough beaches, etc.) are also participating in beach profile monitoring.The study includes measuring certain profiles on the beach every full
moon.The purpose of the data is
to see the effects of certain geological events on different Maine sand
beaches.The data is sent to Joe
Kelley (Professor of Geology, The University of Maine) and compiled.Our first year data has been sent and entered.We will include the printed data in this report once it is received.The beach profile group intends to finish out the second year and then
determine if the data is yielding useful information.New volunteers may need to be recruited.

Requests
for a mooring at Willard Beach must be made through the Portland Harbormaster.The address, phone, fax, and e-mail address of the current harbormaster
(Eric Pearce) are as follows:

2 Portland Pier, Marine Trade Center Suite 213

Portland, Maine 04101

Phone (207) 772-8121

Fax (207) 772-2367

E-mail:pwmharbormaster@gwi.net

An example
of the mooring application, rules, authorized mooring inspectors' list, and
other information are included in Appendix 16 of the report.

There may be
a waiting list for a mooring and the harbormaster has to wait for all renewals
to be processed before new mooring applications are considered and processed.

If a new
mooring number and location is assigned, the new mooring is required to be
inspected after it is placed and that inspection certificate filed with the
harbormaster.Moorings are
required to be inspected every two years by an authorized mooring inspector.The completed inspection certificate must be sent to the harbormaster.

Moorings
must be used.If there is no boat
on the mooring for a period of three consecutive months, the harbormaster will
alert the mooring owner and cancel the mooring.

Boat owners
are given a complete copy of rules when registering the mooring and boat.These rules include getting punts off the beach and boats out of the
water before November 1.

A.Storage locations

There are
currently three designated punt areas on the northern end of the beach:the Beach Street beach entrance, one area just north of that one, and
one at the bottom of the stairs by the SMTC cafeteria.There are also six punts located on the very north end of the beach
around the bend.These locations
appear to be adequate for moored boat owners but are not clearly marked or
defined.

B.Punt Rules

City of
South Portland Parks and Recreation Department and Portland Harbormaster.

Eric Pearce
is the new harbormaster since July, 2002 (phone 772-8121).Eric will be taking punts off the beach by December 1 and
giving the punts to a mooring service call Diver Down Underwater Service
(828-0444).Diver Down will hold
the punts for a period of time and then sell unclaimed punts. Punts
have not been regularly taken off Willard Beach for a period of time and
Eric’s goal is to enforce the punt rules.

The
following is a proposed punt rule to be presented by letter to the
Harbormaster:

Proposed Rule #1

The mooring
number associated with each punt should be placed on each punt.The owner of the punt could then be easily identified in case the punt
is washed out to sea or if the punt is left on the beach in an undesignated
area or after November 1.

The
harbormaster thought this was a good idea and wants to receive a written
proposal from the beach committee requesting this change so he can review it
and possibly add it to the punt rules.He
will then notify the Portland and South Portland city councils if there is a
change in the punt rules.Boaters
are given information regarding punt rules when they register their boat each
year.

We will
address the following proposed rules and their enforcement with the Parks and
Recreation Department:

Proposed Rule #2

In each
designated punt area, the city should put an anchoring device so punt owners
could secure punts in each area instead of using trees.For instance, old Coast Guard chain could be spread between and
attached to the signs that will designate each area.

Proposed Rule #3

Signs must
be put in all the designated punt storage areas stating that punts are allowed
on the beach in those areas only from April 1 through November 1.All punts on the beach after November 1 (or before April 1) will be
removed from the beach area by the Portland Harbormaster.The beach committee and the Parks and Recreation Department will work
together to alert the harbormaster of violations.

There are
two reasons for the punt numbers and the date restriction.The winter storms swells can reach well into the punt areas.Punts lost out to sea are a navigational hazard.Abandoned punts will be readily identified and removed from the beach
after owners are attempted to be reached.

The Harbor
Master suggested calling his office (772-8121) and the Coast Guard Marine
Safety (780-3251) with the registration number or any information of any boat
beached.Parks and Recreation
(Bill Cary 767-7651) should also be contacted.If the identity of the beached or abandoned boat is known, that boat
owner will be notified in accordance with Harbor Commission Rules and be given
the opportunity to claim his property.After
the prescribed period of time and hearing, the Harbor Master may sell or cause
the vessel to be removed or destroyed.Beached boats can become a hazard to navigation, members of
the Coast Guard and the Harbor Commission and personnel are put in harm’s
way to rescue the vessel.Rules
of the Harbor Commission may be obtained at their offices in the Marine Trades
Building, Suite 213, on the Fish Pier, Commercial Street, Portland, Maine.

A.Dog Owner Rules

Dogs must be
registered annually at City Hall and are allowed on the beach from October 1
through April 30 at any time of the day.Dogs must be leashed unless under voice command.This does not mean running loose at the other end of the beach.It means under immediate control.Dogs are not allowed on the beach from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. from May
1 through September 30.Dogs
should be kept away from bird eggs and at least 100 yards from seabirds and
marine mammals.Dogs also must be kept out of the dunes.

The beach
committee will work with the South Portland Dog Owners Group (SPDOG) to iron
out friction and problems or complaints regarding dogs, dog owners and dog
waste.The SPDOG will continue to
do a Spring clean up of dog waste.This
group does a good job policing dog owners to adhere to these rules.The South Portland Animal Control Officer (Stanley Brown) can
be reached at 799-5512 or 599-5511 if there are complaints.

There are
dog bag stations (for removal of dog waste by owners) available at the beach
entrances at Deake Street, Willard Street, Willow Street (bath house), Myrtle
Avenue, and Beach Street.This is
to encourage dog waste pickup on the beach, which is required by the City.There are trash cans at each of these locations for the disposal of dog
waste and other beach litter.

B.Mammal Strandings

(Taken from
the Friends of Casco Bay Guide.)

When marine
mammals come ashore and become helpless it is called a stranding.It usually indicates that they are ill, weak, or lost.It is illegal to touch a stranded animal.Contact the Northeast Marine Animal Lifeline at 851-6625 or the New
England Aquarium at (617) 973-5247.You
can also call the South Portland Animal Control Officer mentioned in the
previous paragraph.

The beach is
closed from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. every day of the year.Individuals are allowed to pass through and cross the beach but not to
loiter or remain on the beach after hours.See the Animal Information section of the report (part a) for rules
regarding dogs.

If there is
a noise disturbance, loitering, or vandalism noticed, please call the police
at 799-5511.The police need a
complaint filed in order to make an arrest, so please identify yourself, give
your phone number, and say that you are willing to register a complaint.The police CAN NOT be a complainant.

The
dispatcher will take the call and prioritize it with other calls he/she is
working with at that time.The
officers will be sent to respond to true emergencies first (i.e. domestic
violence, theft) before they are sent down to the beach for a noise
disturbance or loitering call.There
are four officers and one supervisor on for the night shift covering the four
patrol areas of the city.After
11 p.m., all officers are required to have a backup officer with them on a
call.Response time for calls for
the beach may vary depending on concurrent calls on that night.

While, there
is no public intoxication law in South Portland, there are public drinking
statutes.Obviously, minors can
not possess alcohol.Also, it is
against City ordinance to possess any alcohol, at any age, on Willard Beach
(Parks & Recreation, 18-7).The
issue is that the police can not make an arrest/summons unless they see the
alcohol in the hand (or very close) to be able to prosecute.When possible, the police will take the names of juveniles and the
registrations of any vehicle present and call the parents.If a driver (adult) is visibly intoxicated, the police will tell them
they are not allowed to drive.If
you see an intoxicated person get into their car and start to drive away, you
need to call the police again (799-5511) and tell them a description of the
car, the operator, and where it is headed.If the police find the car, they can stop it and deal with the
situation.

Twenty-three
years ago, when Lt. Clark first started as a police officer for South
Portland, there were 54 police officers.Today, there are 51 in the department.The cost to add another officer on the night shift in the summer would
be at least $25,000 to $30,000.

B.Fire Department

Per phone
conversation with the South Portland fire department (11/15/02):

There are no
fires allowed on Willard Beach.The
fire department instructs people to call 911 if there is a fire on the beach.The fire department and police department will respond and investigate
the incident.

General Information and
Plant Maintenance.

There are
five beach entrances (not including the two stair entrances at SMTC) at
Willard Beach;Deake Street,
Willard Street, Willow Street (bath house and beach parking lot), Myrtle
Avenue, and Beach Street.Attached
is the Spring Point Shoreway Improvement Plan, which shows the current
conditions and plants at these entrances.The Town Council approved $50,000 ($25,000 in both 2002 and 2003) to be
used for improvement of these entrances.The plan called for basically ripping out what plants were at the
entrances (primarily rosa rugosa)and
replanting all of the entrances.

The Willard
Neighborhood Association and the Beach Committee proposed to simply get rid of
any invasive plants in those entrances and add to what exists at those
entrances with native beach plants.In
April of 2002, volunteers spent more than 80 hours ripping out invasive plants
and the bath house and at the end of Willard Street, planting 3,500 sprigs of
dune grass (in areas both indicated by geologists and the Spring Point
Shoreway Improvements Plan), and planting beach plum, northern bayberry and
rosa rugosa at the end of Willard Street and at the bath house.All of the plantings appear to be doing well.These plantings were done with the approval and advice of the Parks and
Recreation Department (John Switzer, Mary Lou Fathke, and Sara Neuts).The Spring 2002 plants and dune grass cost less than $2,000.

The beach
entrances will be an ongoing project.In
the Spring of 2003, it is hoped to address the other half of the Willard
Street entrance and the issue of sand blowing off the beach there.Also, some improvements (fencing, planting) will be discussed at all
the entrances.Every effort will
be made to have volunteers do the plantings again.See Appendix 5 for a discussion of dunes and dune habitat management.The use of dune walkovers is discussed in the Dune Management section
part d.

The
maintenance of the Willow Street entrance (the bath house trash and sand
sweeping) will also be addressed in the Bath House section of this report.

Attached is
the Spring Point Shoreway Improvements Plan for reference.The Beach Street entrance indicated in that plan was plowed over in
October, 2002 to extend a paper street to a new lot created from the
subdivision ofTax Map lot #216.A block (15 feet by 20 feet) of rosa rugosa was ripped out at that
entrance.John Switzer (Parks and Recreation) reported that the Beach
Street entrance will be replanted by the developer.

The
enforcement of these shoreline regulations (see attached)is the responsibility ofthe
Code Enforcement Department.In
Section 27-250 of the Article, the purpose of the article is

§“to further the maintenance of safe and healthful
conditions;

§to prevent and control water pollution; to protect
fish spawning grounds,

§aquatic life, bird and other wildlife habitat;

§to protect buildings and lands from flooding and
accelerated erosion;

§to protect archaeological and historic resources;

§to protect commercial fishing and maritime
industries;

§to protect freshwater and coastal wetlands; to
control building sites, placement of buildings and land uses;

§to conserve shore cover, and visual as well as
actual points of access to inland and coastal waters; to conserve natural
beauty and open space;

§to anticipate and respond to the impacts of
development in shoreland areas; and

§to protect and enhance the enjoyable quality of
existing shoreland areas as places where people and nature can both exist in
productive harmony.”

Any persons
doing changes to or development in the shoreland area of Willard Beach must
comply with these regulations.

A change in
these regulations may be initiated by the City of South Portland Code
Enforcement Department or the Maine Department of Environmental Protection.There have been no changes in the past few years.It is the property owner’s responsibility to keep updated on any
changes because property owners are not officially notified.

See Appendix
11 for the Shoreline Zoning Regulations.

The
purpose of the sand dune regulations (Chapter 355) is to protect and promote
the growth of sand dunes on Maine’s beaches.Those properties that are in any part of the dune area (i.e. frontal
dune or back dune) must comply with these regulations in addition to the
Shoreline Regulations outlined in Section XI and Appendix 11of this report.See the sand dune map in Appendix 9 for the properties (both city and
residential) that are affected by these rules.

Chapter 355
“clarifies the criteria for obtaining a permit under Maine’s Natural
Resources Protection Act (NRPA) for an activity proposed within areas defined
as coastal sand dune systems.It
outlines standards that a proposed activity must satisfy in order to be
permitted under this chapter.This
chapter also lists activities exempted from authorization under this chapter.A list of permit application requirements and a sample application form
are provided at the end of this document.” (Maine DEP)

The current
sand dune regulations are under discussion for amendments.The proposed changes are attached as well as the current sand
dune regulations.The final
revised sand dune regulations will be attachedwhen they become available.See
Appendix 12 for current sand dune regulations and proposed amendments to those
regulations.

The beach
committee and the code enforcement office will jointly write a letter to Jeff
Madore at the Maine DEP Bureau of Land and Water Quality to specifically
clarify if the buildings on the front row of the beach can be rebuilt in the
event of greater than 50% storm damage of the building assessed value and
under what restrictions, if any.Currently,
any buildings on the front row of the beach are considered in the back dune
area of the Willard beach.Because
these buildings are in an A2 Flood Zone (See FIRM in Appendix 2 of this
report) and not a V Zone, there is some discussion that these sand dune rules
apply at Willard Beach.

The area
delineated in the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) as the 100 year floodplain
denotes an area where a flood has a 1% chance of being equaled or exceeded in
any given year.It does not mean
that the flood will only happen once every 100 years but rather it is a
statistical representation.It
can and has happened more than once a year as we saw in 1978.(See the South Portland Floodplain Management section of this report
for more information.)If the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) was to change the rating from a A2
Zone, the sand dune rules may apply differently.The response letter from Jeff Madore will be put in this report.

These
are additional regulations that must be complied with if there is any
development in the 100-year floodplain.These
are a different set of regulations than shoreline regulations and are
attached.

Sue Baker
(CFM, State Planning Office, Floodplain Management Program) states that “the
area delineated in the Flood Insurance Rate Map (FIRM) as the 100-year
floodplain denotes an area where a flood has a 1% chance of being equaled or
exceeded in any given year.It
does not mean that the flood will only happen once every 100 years but rather
it is a statistical representation.It
can and has happened more than once in the same year or even within the same
month as we saw in 1978.Also,
Zone A2 and VE are both areas that will be inundated in a 100-year flood .A “V” Zone is also called a velocity zone and is an area
that has wind and wave action figured into the height of the flood will reach.Hence, we only find velocity zones on the coast.”

See Appendix
13 for the Floodplain Management Regulations.

Fisherman’s
Point (Wharf Point) is on the south end of Simonton Cove and Willard Beach.In a May 26, 1999 article by Katherine Collins in the American Journal
she writes, “In July 1907, the point was deeded over to the city of South
Portland as one of the city’s first parks.The deed included all of the real estate on the shore at Wharf Point
and back to Simonton Cove.The
cove and Willard Beach was an area dedicated to fishing almost from the time
of the first settlers in what was then known as Falmouth.A group of Scottish and Irish settlers that first arrived in 1718
included William and Andrew Simonton, who built a fishing wharf and warehouse
in the cove which was eventually named for them.”

On
Fisherman’s Point, there remained five fishing shacks until the February
storm of 1978.That storm was the
second of two major storm events that winter (the first was in January).Two of the shacks (the two closest to Deake Street) were washed away in
those storms.The shacks were
used at that time to store fishing gear of local fisherman.The three remaining shacks hold much significant historical
value to the area and should be maintained and preserved.Richard Holt, long time resident and fisherman, has been
instrumental in maintaining these shacks along with the Willard Neighborhood
Association.Richard Holt said
that some of the timber in the shack is over 200 years old and that the shacks
predate the city itself.

In the
spring and fall of 2002, the roof of the largest shack was replaced and one ofthe sides of that shack was re-shingled.The shingles on two other sides were stained and re-nailed.Materials were provided by the City of South Portland Parks and
Recreation Department.The labor
on the shacks was provided solely by volunteers including Richard Holt.We hope to re-shingle and re-paper the water side of the big shack and
one of the smaller shacks in the spring of 2003.

The Willard
Neighborhood Association and the South Portland Volunteer Network appreciates
the supply of materials from the city of South Portland and would hope that
this will continue in the future.

The
age and history of the current bath house will be included in this report when
obtained.Chick Wilder
(9/3/25-2/3/94) was the head lifeguard at Willard Beach for 35 years and made
Willard Beach a place for recreation and communities.He organized activities for the kids and taught them how to swim.Chick, helped to keep the beach clean, and is missed by many residents
who grew up here and remember him well.His
contribution to this beach will not be forgotten.

a.Maintenance

The bathroom
and lifeguard rooms are maintained by the lifeguards during the season (see
Lifeguard section below).The
concession stand is owned by the city and leased out to the operator.

The exterior
building and deck of the bath house was painted by neighborhood volunteers in
April of 2001 as part of Earth Day.Seventeen
adults and children donated time and the total materials cost to the city was
$900.On Earth Day 2002,
volunteers did touch up painting to remove graffiti and put another coat of
stain on the deck.Theresa Wiper
(767-1160) has stain and paint stored at her house for future touch-ups.

b.Lifeguard Duties

Written by
Bill Cary of the Parks and Recreation Department.

The Parks
and Recreation Department employ lifeguards during the summer months of June,
July and August to provide health and safety services for the public at
Willard Beach.All lifeguards
must have lifeguard and first aid certification from Red Cross or some other
water safety organization.All
lifeguards are seasonal, temporary employees.There has been a well-documented and publicized shortage of qualified
lifeguards in Maine for the past few summers.Speculation is that many people are unwilling to commit to the many
hours of training necessary to become and remain certified.The Parks and Recreation Department has been able to offer lifeguards
combined hours at the Swimming Pool and Willard Beach which has allowed us to
be more competitive in attracting qualified applicants (usually college
students) who are trying to maximize their summer earning opportunities.All Swimming Pool and Willard Beach lifeguard activities are managed by
the Aquatic Program Coordinator, Tim Gato, who can be reached at the Community
Center (767-7650 and tgato@spsd.org).Two
of the people on the lifeguard staff are head lifeguards and are responsible
for supervising all lifeguard activities during the eight-hour work shift at
the beach.Staffing levels
require a minimum of two lifeguards (including the head lifeguard) on duty at
all times and a maximum of four lifeguards (including the head lifeguard)
scheduled on busy weekend days in July and August.Some lifeguards are scheduled for half shifts (four hours) during the
middle part of the day (11:00 AM to 3:00 PM) to provide extra coverage when
the attendance level is at a peak during a normal summer day.

The primary
responsibility of the lifeguard staff is to provide public safety and an
enjoyable experience to the Willard Beach users between the hours of 9:00 AM
and 4:00 PM.This involves
surveillance of the waterfront from the guard stands located at two locations
on the beach.Willard Beach is
considered to be a safe and family friendly with very little surf as compared
to other beaches in the area.This
results in many small children playing in or near the water and the
possibility of an accident at any time.The
lifeguard staff is also responsible for responding to accidents and performing
first aid.Most of the incidents
are scrapes and cuts but occasionally something more serious happens which
requires a rescue call.The
lifeguard staff is responsible for enforcing Willard Beach rules and
regulations involving a variety of issues including consumption of alcohol,
dogs, small boats and flotation devices.The lifeguard staff collect water samples for testing by the Pollution
Abatement Department and inform the public about any resulting water quality
issues by putting up the appropriate signage.

The
secondary responsibility of the lifeguard staff is to open and close the
bathhouse and keep it maintained for the public.The bathhouse is cleaned and disinfected in the morning before opening.At the end of the day before closing, all receptacle trash is collected
and stored in the bathhouse for Park employees to collect and dispose of.The other routine maintenance task that the lifeguards are expected to
perform is to check the beach each day for any broken glass or other debris
that could create a safety concern or health risk for the public.Occasionally they have to deal with dead animals or fish that wash up
on the beach and must be disposed of.

c.Bathroom facilities

Off season
availability to the public.Currently,
there are none.

d.Swimming Float

Residents
fondly remember a swimming float at Willard Beach and the fun they had with
it.Bill Cary, Parks and
Recreation Department, mentioned “that the last float was in operation in
the early 1990’s.It fell into
disrepair and the replacement cost at the time was in the $5,000 range.The float generally required much labor time to put it in and take it
out and seemed to need repairs at the end of every season.It also created some real public safety concerns in terms of children
falling off and becoming trapped under the float.We had one lifeguard assigned to monitor the float.I don’t think we have enough lifeguard staff to do that today and
monitor the rest of the beach from the guard stands.The float was also an attractive nuisance at night as it was a place
for teenagers to swim out and hang out away from the beach.”Maintenance and safety concerns are reasons the float is no longer
used.

Dick
Ingalls, the Chairman of the Board of Harbor Commissioners, stated in an
e-mail dated November 18, 2002, that “they had no record of a swimming float
at Willard Beach.Were there to
be one, it would be in the domain of the Harbor Master and require a seasonal
permit.Were it to be a permanent
float it would require MDEP approval also.”

Current efforts

A.Public Works Department:

Large and
small debris is piled at a designated spot at SMTC and at each beach entrance
after volunteer clean ups.Public
works makes regular trips to SMTC for debris pickups.Public works is contacted if debris is placed at the beach entrances
for pickup.

B.Parks and Recreation
Department:

Lifeguards
walk down the beach before 9 am for 20 minutes and pick up trash.

Workers
empty the trash cans at the beach entrances and the greenbelt walkway paths.

Some beach
entrance plant maintenance is done.

Lifeguards
clean the bathrooms at the bath house.

Materials
are supplied to volunteers for fish shack repair and for painting/staining the
bath house.

Plants and
dune grass are provided to volunteers for improvements to the beach entrance
and in dune restoration efforts.

C.Volunteer and Beach
Committee Efforts:

1.Volunteers do a beach clean up on Earth Day in the
Spring and a beach clean up as part of Coast Week in the Fall.Other clean ups are conducted as needed (i.e. after big storm events).

2.Volunteers painted and continue to maintain the
outside paint/stain maintenance of the bath house.

3.Volunteers make necessary repairs and improvements
for the fish shacks.

4.Volunteers work on the beach entrances to remove
invasive plants and add new native plants.

6.The beach committee will continue to attend beach
conferences and DEP hearings that relate beach rules and dune rules.Information obtained at these meetings will be communicated to the
appropriate city officials.

7.The beach committee will continue to update this
report (the beach resource guide) and provide well-researched recommendations
to the city with regard to beach maintenance.

8.Steve Gray, a beach committee member and Willard
Neighborhood resident, removes very heavy debris from the beach often and
stacks it for Public Works to pick up.

A.Wharf Jetty

Captain
William Simonton, an early settler, apparently constructed a crib wharf off
Wharf Point at the beginning of the 1800’s to land trade goods procured from
the West Indies (Loveitt, 1977 and taken from Barry Timson’s report.See Appendix 1).The wharf jetty has been in various states of repair since
then.Barry Timson noted in his
1977 report “that none of the navigation charts prior to the 1940’s
indicate the wharf pier in Simonton Cove.The pier may have been upgraded substantially during or immediately
after the war years.It has
fallen into disrepair since that time.

WHAT EFFECT
DOES THE WHARF JETTY HAVE ON THE BEACH AND SHOULD IT BE REPAIRED?

Barry Timson
was hired by the City of South Portland in 1977 to find out the answer to this
and other questions.See Appendix
1 for the full report.Barry
reported that “the pier jetty structure at Wharf Point appears to have no
net effect on the stability of any portion of Willard Beach. Removal of this structure should be based on considerations
other than its effects on beach erosion.”Barry analyzed historical shoreline position changes and waves to make
this determination.

Steve
Dickson (marine geologist, Maine Geological Survey), Joe Kelley (Professor of
Marine Geology - University of Maine), and Sue Schaller (Coastal Resource
Planner - Southern Maine Regional Planning Commission) concur with the above.The reconstruction of the jetty, while extremely cost prohibitive to
build and maintain, may actually have a negative environmental impact on the
beach (i.e. an undesirable shift in sand).A jetty would cost millions of dollars to build and maintain.

B.Beach cleaner

IS THE USE
OF A MOTORIZED BEACH CLEANER RECOMMENDED BY GEOLOGISTS AND COASTAL RESOURCE
PLANNERS?WHAT ALTERNATIVES DO WE
HAVE?

A motorized
beach cleaner was not endorsed by Steve Dickson, Pete Slovinsky or Sue
Schaller, because it would remove sand as well as debris from the beach.Since Willard Beach has no real source of incoming sand, this is an
undesirable incidental result.

Here are a
few reasons why a beach rake was requested and some possible solutions.

1.The beach cleaner could be used to trim back dune
grass that is growing into the recreational areas of the beach.This could be accomplished by using the rotodarian machine as
indicated in the DUNE MANAGEMENT section c. on dune grass removal.

2.The beach cleaner would pick up trash on the beach.We can continue to organize clean up efforts as needed through the
South Portland Volunteer Network.Lifeguards
also help pick up trash.Beach
rakes found in the bath house have been altered by putting wire mesh on the
end.Regular raking with these
hand rakes by the lifeguards around the concession stand area should help with
smaller litter items (i.e. cigarette butts).These rakes could also be used by volunteers during scheduled clean ups
(i.e. Earth Day or Coastal Clean Up).

3.The beach cleaner would remove seaweed.While seaweed is an important nutrient, it’s removal in the summer
months is desirable for aesthetic reasons.Seaweed can also become a breeding ground forbacteria.This bacteria may contribute in part to high bacteria counts
and beach swimming advisories and closures after rains.We are recommending that the seaweed be raked at least three
times a summer; the beginning of the season and at least once a month during
the season.See the following
section for how to rake the seaweed.

C.Seaweed information and
removal techniques.

WHEN AND HOW
SHOULD SEAWEED BE RAKED?

Seaweed may
be raked in the summer for the reasons noted in the previous paragraph.According to Sarah Neuts in Parks and Recreation, Chick Wilder, the
lifeguard at Willard Beach for 35 years, raked the seaweed down to the water.This method is also endorsed by the geologists and the coastal resource
planner because this way the sand stays on the beach.

There are
better times of the month to rake to increase the chance of the seaweed
staying off the beach.The best
time ofthe month is after a full
or new moon and right after high tide.Ideal
conditions would include an offshore wind.Seaweed can be raked into a small wheel barrel and dumped into the
water.Volunteers raked a section
of the beach in front of the bath house last summer to test this technique.Most of the seaweed stayed off the beach.

When groups
are scheduled to rake, great care should be taken to do it at the above times
to achieve the best results.

D.Seawall Construction.

WHAT ARE THE
EFFECTS OF SEAWALLS ON BEACH EROSION AND ARE SEAWALLS STILL ALLOWED TO BE
CONSTRUCTED?

A seawall is
defined in the DEP sand dune regulations as a vertical wall, or other sloped
barrier that separates land from water areas, commonly constructed out of
rocks, wood, concrete or other similar materials, generally built for the
purpose of protecting structures or property from shoreline erosion cause by
wave or current action.A seawall
is considered a permanent structure.

Seawall
construction on the beach is not recommended and generally no longer allowed
because these structures actually aid in the erosion process.Wave action is accelerated and more sand is dug out with each
wave.Dunes are a better erosion
defense because the wave sinks into the dune and the wave action is slowed.

The proposed
DEP sand dune regulations state that there will be no new seawall construction
and no existing seawall may be expanded or replaced except as provided under
Chapter 305, Permit By Rule (See Section 5F of the Amendment - Section XII.

E.Coast Guard Phone Number.

WHO DO YOU
CALL WHEN YOU SEE AN OIL SLICK OR OTHER POSSIBLE POLLUTION SPILLS?See the following section for more phone numbers.

Work includes:
measurement of sea-level change and the response of the shorelines to that
change, as well as seafloor habitat mapping.Also involved in coastal zone management issues in Maine including
beach development and erosion.

Maine
Department of Environmental Protection

Bureau of Land & Water Quality

312 Canco Road

Portland, Maine 04103

822-6300

Contact: Ask
for on call person for Land and Water Quality

Will review
projects within Maine’s coastal sand dune system.

Maine
Department of Environmental Protection

Bureau of Land and Water Quality

#17 State House Station

Augusta, Maine 04333-0017

(207)287-7688

Contact:Jeff Madore

(207)287-7848

In charge of
Sand Dune Regulations

Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency

Hazard Mitigation

22 High Street

Windham, Maine 04602

(207)892-6785

Contact:
George Flaherty

Friends of Casco Bay

2 Fort Road

South Portland, Maine 04106

(207)799-8574

Founded in 1989, FOCB is a marine stewardship
organization with a mission to improve and protect the environmental health of
Casco Bay.